But the Greatest of These is Love
by MayBellini
Summary: He would have never thought his life could change so quickly within just 24 hours. Damn zombies. Oddly enough, it had taken the apocalypse for Nick to learn that there are still people worth trusting. Apparently, it seems that's not the only thing he was going to learn as he manages to stumble upon a wounded woman on the group's detour to Whispering Oaks Amusement Park.
1. Prologue

Hello! I just wanted to quickly say thank you for giving my story a chance! This is my first time ever posting something on this site. My apologies if there happen to be any major errors. Please let me know if you spot any!

I don't own any of the Left 4 Dead 2 characters, or anything produced by Valve.

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The door slammed open as the woman stumbled in, barely able to keep herself upright. Despite her exhausted state she still managed to shut and lock the door behind her, panting heavily as she took the few steps towards the bed and proceeded to collapse on the covers.

A tired chuckle escaped the young woman's lips. She still couldn't believe she made it. Despite being alone and hurt, she managed to make it successfully into one of the many rooms of the crappy motel she currently resided in. She hadn't planned on taking a rest here, since if she were to be discovered, the infected could easily break their way into her room, but she had no choice since on her way here she barely managed to escape the clutches of a persistent jockey. The creepy thing left a small gash above her left eye, but the real damage came from falling down the hillside the special infected lead her to.

She was pretty sure the little shit died on its way tumbling down the hill, (joke's on him), but it provided little relief when she came to find the nasty gash she sported on the inside of her right forearm and the bruising her body had suffered from. She knew she was limping, and going any further would just cause more unnecessary damage, so that was why she nearly jumped for joy at seeing the beaming lights of the motel sign.

With a groan, she managed to push herself off the bed, her legs aching in protest as her tan combat boots connected with the floor. She gingerly made her way to the bathroom, sliding her bag off her shoulders as she opened the door. She took no care as she basically dropped the sack to the ground as the door shut behind her. The only things in it were ammo, water and snacks, and, of course, medical supplies.

In the middle of the zombie apocalypse, the only thing that somehow seemed to work in her favor was her career choice- a formally educated nurse. Then again, that was also probably the reason why she was _here._ She had just finished her residency, and was looking for a job out in a small, quiet town, that was perhaps in need of new medical staff. It was always her dream to settle down and find a job out in the country. She had believed Georgia was the golden ticket, yet, on her way down here the only thing it led her to was meeting the infected face to face.

She had of course seen cases of the green flu before she came down to Georgia, but she hadn't exactly believed it would easily become a nationwide pandemic so fast. Before she knew it, she was stuck with two other men in some country she had never been to in her life. She had been with them at the beginning when this all went to hell. They were brothers, Merle and Daryl- she honestly hoped they were all right. Other than Merle, who could be a bit pissy at times, they were pretty decent people. And damn did she miss having someone there to watch her back.

Her feeling of longing came back full force as she grimaced as she sat on the covered toilet. Her injuries were a constant reminder that being alone during a zombie apocalypse was about as horrible as it could be. Her dark colored jeans were stained with blood and dirt, and her white tank top was no longer white. The gun she had been constantly holding in her hand was finally placed on top of the sink. By now, the extra weight was practically normal, causing her to sometimes forget she was even holding the weapon in the first place. The only other gun she had on her was the matching pistol that could always be found in the holster attached to her thigh. She only ever broke out both guns simultaneously if there was any sort of hordes or special infected she happened to encounter. She tried to not think about zombies at the moment though, once again grunting as she eased herself onto her feet. What she did need to think about was getting patched up.

She finally found the courage to look in the mirror as she leaned forward on the porcelain sink. Her grimy and blood covered face stared right back, and she had to suppress a cringe at looking at the trail of blood running down the half of her face due to her newly acquired gash. Despite looking half dead, her dark blue eyes sparkled with life. She was not ready to die just yet.

Still, she couldn't help but sigh out of irritation. _It gets kind of annoying always having a constant reminder that everyone wants to turn you into a three course meal…_ she depressingly thought. She then looked down as she hoped and prayed, her arm shaking as she reached to turn on the water and- _yes! Life is still showing to be full of miracles!_ The water ran full force under her fingertips, the hissing sound never giving the brunette more comfort in her entire life. She even managed to crack a smile, finding some soap right by the faucet. She immediately began trying to clean herself, going mainly for the cut on her forearm and her face, all the while trying to get as much grime off of her as possible.

The blue and red flannel cardigan she wore soon had to come off, the sleeves getting in the way despite already being rolled up to her elbows. She let it fall next to her bag, causing her to glance at the dark brown object. She eyed the sack that held her medical supplies wearily. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was going to have to suture up her arm. She hadn't acknowledged until now just how much blood that was escaping the wound, noting the red splotches below her that stuck out like a sore thumb against the cold white tile. She didn't doubt she had probably left a trail right to her location as well. _Shit._

It was something she would have to worry about later though as she continued on scrubbing off any dirt, along with grabbing a nearby towel to wrap her arm in. Right now, her goal was to get bandaged up and to rest before her next trek through the masses of undead. She wasted no time as she gently kneeled in front of her supplies, unclasping her saddlebag and pulling out her med kit. The familiar ' _click_ ' greeted her ears as she opened the hard white case, a resigned look crossing her features. At that moment she couldn't help but bite her lip as she looked around the tiny bathroom she was holed up in, noting the rust stains in the tub, and the probably inch-thick layer of dust that rested on the top shelf above the toilet.

How had her life come to this?

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If you happened to know who the two brothers were that were mentioned, brownie points for you my friend! I'll give you a hint- they're a part of one of the most amazing TV shows to ever grace television c:


	2. Chapter 1: A Rather Rare Find

Nearly all the rooms he went into held nothing but a bottle of pain pills. In all honesty, Nick was a bit disappointed. The light on top of his AK-47 shined down the row of doors, the conman wondering if he should just turn back and regroup. He might have just done so if it weren't for the sudden splotch of red that caught his eye.

Immediately he shined his light back on the object, recognizing the bloody door handle. He walked past two sets of doors to reach it, and as he found himself in front of the desired object it was only then that he noticed the small droplets of blood that led up to the faded blue door. _Well, I'm either about to find a zombie, or a dead person…_ Nick morbidly thought. Either way, however, it meant that there had to be something they left behind that he could hopefully use. He then reached for the handle, cringing at having to touch the dry blood, before his face then frowned in confusion. _Locked?_

"I better find something good…" Nick mumbled, noting how it was probably the only locked door he had come across. He then proceeded to take a step back, and with one powerful kick the door swung open with a bang. If there did happen to be any sort of undead, he would have known right away from the noise he made breaking in. However, his confusion only further grew upon seeing and hearing nothing as he held up his gun, his light searching the small room. The only thing that was out of place was the bloodstains on the carpet and bed, ultimately forming a little trail to the bathroom. An unordinary sigh escaped Nick's lips. He debated just turning back, not wanting to see the probable body lying in despair on the floor or in the tub, but the beckoning of possible supplies still pushed him to reach for the bathroom door. He had to break into the room after all, he wasn't about to put that energy to waste. And it wasn't about getting the best prize either. This was just survival.

The doorknob was once again stained with scarlet, but he steeled himself as he opened the door, puzzled for a moment as it abruptly stopped mid-swing. Right as Nick peered over the edge of the door to investigate, he simultaneously heard a small groan.

His features instantly turned into one of disbelief and shock. He quickly realized it was due to a pair of _moving_ _feet_ that the door had been unable to open fully.

"Holy shit…" Nick trailed off, lowering his gun as he fully entered the petite bathroom. For a moment, he couldn't process the thought of meeting an actual live person, believing she might have been a zombie, but the vibrant glow of her skin and the neatly bandaged wounds told him otherwise. It seemed she had decided to take a rest, for her form was sitting against the bath tub, and what he assumed to be her shirt was rolled up behind her head as a makeshift pillow.

Her hair framed her face, most of it kept in a side braid that hung over her right shoulder. Her white tank top and dark blue jeans were stained with blood and dirt, not looking much different than his white suit. He couldn't help but wonder how long she had been out here, alone, noticing the bandage above her left eye and the gauze wrapped around her right forearm. He at least hoped it meant she was immune. He couldn't help but give a small smirk as he looked back up at her petite facial features though. _Looks like I definitely did find something good._

At that moment he noticed her body shifted as she began to wake up, her lips releasing another small groan as she began to blink her eyes open.

"Hey, you alright there?" He could only manage to ask, watching as she suddenly looked confused as her line of sight finally focused on him. It took a split second for her to react, her mind suddenly seeming to fully awaken in a matter of seconds. He noted her sapphire eyes held a flicker of fear for a split second before determination replaced it, her hand frantically trying to grab the pistol lying next to her as her eyes remained carefully on Nick. He never gave her the chance to do anything else as he instantly held up his AK-47 at the action.

"Hold up there, sweetheart. Pretty sure we're on the same team. If I wanted to do anything to you, I would've done it already when you were asleep." He calmly stated, watching anger flood her features.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" She spat, watching as the man only slightly lowered his gun.

"Are you immune?" Was the only answer she got from him, immediately confusing her. Who the hell answers a question with a question?

"What?!" The woman couldn't help but say incredulously. _Was he seriously asking me this?!_

Her anger flared once again as she looked at him. She could immediately tell he had probably had his fair share of dealing with the infected by the looks of his tarnished suit, so she knew he would understand what she was talking about as she pointed out her right arm.

"What the hell do you think?!" She blatantly stated, once again reaching for her gun as she motioned to stand. She knew the only reason the random man before her was not getting defensive at her movements was due to her weakened state. Despite the pistol she held in her right hand, it took her a moment to fully stand, having to use the edge of the bathtub for support as she managed to get to her own two feet. She once again glanced up to the man before her.

"You still haven't answered _my_ question." She pointed out, waiting for his response as she stared him down. A sense of confusion washed over her as she watched a smile that was almost… _flirtatious? Are you kidding me?_ Cross his lips. His darker features coupled with the white suit already made him seem shady enough.

"The name's Nick." Was the only thing she got out of him before he walked out of the bathroom. She immediately followed, intending on calling out to him to stop. She still had no idea who he was, barely trusting him in the slightest, but right as she exited the bathroom another woman came walking into the run down motel room as well. Both were unable to help themselves as they stared at each other with a sense of shock. Nick was unable to help himself as a smirk tugged at his lips.

"You will not be _lieve_ what I found."


	3. Chapter 2: A New Addition to the Family

I don't know why, but this chapter was giving me a lot of trouble. I had to rewrite it like three times, ugh. I just hope I got the characterization right. Please, let me know if I happened to botch any characters! However, considering we don't get to know a lot about the backstories of the characters, I should warn you all now that I plan on integrating some of my theories about Nick's history... I can't be the only one who can't help but think about what he's been through with all his in-game comments, can I?

Also- Happy 4th of July to any of my American readers! (Or basically anybody who celebrates it).

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"So you got a name, sweetheart?" Nick asked. Immediately, said woman's sapphire stare switched from the other girl wearing the pink 'Depeche Mode' shirt to frown at the man before her.

" _Yes._ And it's not _sweetheart_ , it's Evangeline. But just call me Eva." The brunette explained. At the end of her words two people had found their way into the small motel room, stopping to stand next to the dark haired woman. She noticed one of them was more around her age, looking to be the youngest of the group wearing a pair of overalls and a baseball cap. Oddly enough, the other man to join the little group looked to be the oldest, and largest, an authoritative air surrounding him.

"Well, shoot! I told you guys we would find more survivors!" Eva heard the youngest say, a gleeful look on his face as he practically ran up to her form. Without warning he grabbed her left hand, shaking it as he introduced himself.

"It's a pleasure to meet ya ma'am! This here is Nick, and behind me is Rochelle and Coach. Ma name is Ellis, but some people call me El. I prefer Ellis though 'cause El kinda sounds like a girl's name, but, if you wanna, you can call me El…" he trailed off, causing Eva's previous irritation to fade as she couldn't help the smile that grew on her face. The young man's rather friendly behavior quickly put her at ease.

"Thank you, and I think just Ellis will do. It's a pleasure to meet you guys as well." Eva responded, glancing at everyone in the room, her eyes landing on Nick last. She couldn't help but to give him a confused smile though, her eyes landing on his face to only find an amused look had crossed his features.

"Hey, overalls, we don't have to worry about you wanting to marry her too, do we?" Nick teased, instantly causing a sense of shock to wash over Eva. What the hell would give him that idea? Apparently she seemed to be missing out on some joke, for she couldn't help but to notice how the man named "Coach" could only shake his head at the words, straining to hide his smile, while on the other hand Rochelle gave a warning look towards Nick. It seemed she was about to defend Ellis if it weren't for said man suddenly deciding to do it himself.

"I don' think you should be talkin' Nick! I've been noticin' the way you've been lookin' at her since the moment I walked in'ere!" The light-blue eyed man pointed out. In normal circumstances, Eva might have blushed at the accusations, but her confusion at the banter overruled any sense of embarrassment she could have felt. All she could do was raise an eyebrow at the two, watching as Nick snorted.

"You're still holding her hand, genius." Nick calmly stated, glancing at the conjoined appendages. Ellis instantly looked down, almost as if to verify Nick's words, before a look of surprise crossed his face as he practically leapt back. Eva had slightly acknowledged Ellis had continuously held her hand, but she never thought it was a big deal. Still, she couldn't help herself as she bit her lip, trying to contain her laughter. Between Nick's words and the hick's reaction she couldn't hide the mirth that was evident in her eyes. She couldn't help but think that the two acted like they were brothers.

"Ma apologies miss Eva! I hope I didn't put you out none…" Ellis trailed off, almost representing a kicked puppy as he rubbed the back of his head. Eva merely gave him a dismissive wave, signaling it was no big deal as she couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her form. Before she could say anything else, the sound of Coach's voice ended any conversation.

"Alright, alright, now that we seem to be comfortable with one another, I suggest we get a move on. This ain't no time for chit chat." The large man said, his gaze shifting from looking at everyone to fall onto Eva.

"I'd suggest you come with us, young'un, unless you got a group you need to meet up with. It ain't no good bein' out there alone." Coach ended, glancing up and down her form. She knew he was probably making a reference to her current state, for even she knew she looked like crap. It made Eva seriously consider his offer. The only thing that stopped her from instantly agreeing was seeing everybody else's reaction to the proposition, and from the looks of it, nobody seemed to be in disagreement.

In all honesty, if she could, she would wish to be able to find the two brothers she had been with in the beginning, but she knew it was merely wishful thinking. If she chose not to go along with this group because she honestly thought she could find her previous companions, it would probably be the stupidest decision she could ever make.

"No, you're right, as long as it won't cause any trouble I could tag along, but where are you guys headed? And for the record, I don't have a group, well, not anymore. I got separated from the people I was previously with a few days ago…" Eva trailed off. Much to her surprise, instead of Coach being the one to reply to her, Nick beat him to it, the sound of his voice causing her to turn towards him.

"We're headin' up to Whispering Oaks Amusement Park. Along with you, the searchlights we spotted are the only signs of life we've seen within a hundred miles. Your best bet is to come with us, doll face." The conman explained, his silver iris's unable to help themselves as they glanced once more at the bandaged areas on the girl. Now, Nick was not ignorant to the fact that he was seen as selfish, especially considering before this entire mess he was only concerned in looking out for himself, but seeing the bandages brought back some heavy memories, memories that he wish he could forget. He had a violent past, but never was he violent towards a woman. Instead, he had grown up being taught that they needed to be protected. For some odd reason, such thoughts couldn't help but to resurface, and Nick did his best to ignore them.

At the sound of the pet name, Eva couldn't help the unamused expression that crossed her face. _Like seriously_ _? "Doll face"? Who even says that anymore?_ She might have said something about it too, but as she stared at the man in the white suit, his expression was one she completely unexpected. Instead of the shit eating grin that she had anticipated, he had an uncannily serious expression. Her features quickly shifted into a frown.

"Uh, alrighty then, I guess. But for the record, _Fancysuit_ , I'm quite capable of taking care of myself…" Eva trailed off, a hint of mischief in her tone as she decided to also play Nick's little pet name game. She had no idea why he had a sudden change in demeanor, but it didn't mean she was about to let the nicknames slide. It seemed to have the desired effect as he immediately reacted, reverting back to his previous mood as a sudden smirk found its way to his lips.

"You sure about that, _buttercup_?" Nick smugly retorted. It immediately caused a dangerous smirk of her own to place itself upon Eva's lips. A stormy look in her eye could be seen that didn't require words to express just how much she wanted to rip the man before her into shreds. Unfortunately, Eva never got the chance to even respond with a witty remark as Coach once again had to remind everyone that it was time to go.

"Alright then, it's settled! Let's get a move on, people." The unofficial leader proclaimed. Everybody then got ready to go, Eva giving one more impish look towards Nick before moving back into the bathroom to grab her things. She didn't think the man understood what he just started. The battle of the sexes was nothing new to her.

Nick glanced at her retreating form before the sound of the kid's voice caught his attention.

"You _like_ 'er" The conman suddenly heard, turning to give the hick a death glare. He felt like punching the smile right off his face.

"Ellis, _don't make me shoot you._ " Nick stated, a threatening look in his eye. At the same time, Eva walked back out to meet everyone, the flannel cardigan Nick saw earlier on the bathroom floor now on her form as she slung a backpack over her shoulders. Her pistol could still be clearly seen within her right hand. Ellis didn't acknowledge her however, putting his hands in front of him.

"Alright Nick, but I'm just tellin' it like it is!" Ellis answered, immediately turning to follow Coach, who was walking out of the run down motel room, shaking his head. Eva once again couldn't help but to frown in confusion.

"Uh, did I miss something…?" She couldn't help but say, watching as Nick practically chased Ellis out the door, threatening him all the way. The brunette turned to Rochelle, who had an amused smile on her face as she watched the two men run out together. She quickly walked up to the brown-eyed woman's side as they both made their way out of the room.

"So, are they always like this?" Eva asked, unable to stop herself. The question caused Rochelle to laugh.

"Oh yeah. But don't worry, Coach usually stops them before anything can happen." The woman responded, causing Eva to glance forward as she raised her eyebrow in concern.

"Ellis, I swear to god!"

"Aw, c'mon man, it was just a joke-"

"Will you two quit it?! I don't need yo whinin' asses to attract any infected from the next town over!" Coach finally yelled, silencing everybody. Despite the sound of the intimidating voice, Eva couldn't help the slight smile that threatened to cross her lips, looking back towards Rochelle to see a knowing smile on her face. The _I-told-you-so_ look was evident in her brown eyes.

Despite the people who found her not being the exact definition of ordinary, Eva could feel a sense of relief wash over her.

It was nice to hear normal voices again.

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So I've noticed my story has actually gotten some views! You have no idea how excited I was to see that! Thank you to whoever has decided to give my story a chance! (Hopefully I won't end up disappointing you)

I more than welcome any sort of comments or constructive criticism, so if you wish to say anything, by all means, please do so! I don't bite. And if my story sucks, you can tell me that too. So far, I've had no idea as to how well this story has been received since I've yet to get any word.

Gah, sorry for being so chatty. I just wanted to say one more thing- with it being 4th of July weekend, the next chapter should be up sometime next week. I don't plan on making you guys wait too long!


	4. Chapter 3: Friend or Foe?

So this chapter kind of exploded. It literally took on a mind of its own and before I knew it I had written a lot more than I originally planned. I just hope you guys enjoy it! I've already gotten a review and some PM's, and I'm literally in a state of disbelief! I can't thank you guys enough! I literally don't know how to process all the wonderful compliments I've received. I just can't help but to be a little anxious now since I hope the future chapters I post will meet your guy's expectations.

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After Coach effectively shut everyone up, it didn't take long for the sounds of the infected to fill the silence. As the group rounded the corner of the motel, a few zombies were already waiting to greet them. Eva had her gun ready, and was tempted to shoot, but it seemed no bullets would be necessary just yet. She watched, at first concerned, as Coach stepped in front of everyone, flipping the shotgun in his hands so the butt was facing up. He then proceeded to beat the shit out of the three zombies that were stupid enough to come running at him.

Eva could only stare incredulously, not expecting the large man to bash in the face of a zombie with a perfectly functional weapon. _He does realize he can shoot with that thing too, right?_

She took a quick glance at the other survivors, noticing their nonchalant behavior. Okay, so apparently this was normal. And she could see how such tactics could conserve ammo, but it still caused concern for the woman. Unfortunately, Eva couldn't risk coming that close to a zombie at the moment.

The group continued to carry on to the back of the motel, Coach suddenly calling out to Eva over his shoulder. It seemed she wasn't the only one thinking about her current condition.

"Are you sure you gonna be alright little one? You don't look like you could handle another hit from one of those infected." Coach proclaimed, a concerned glint in his eye. Eva went to respond, but was distracted as the group finally reached the back of the motel. The azure-eyed woman wanted to groan instead. _Of course there was a steep fucking hill_. And to top it off, it seemed the woods were no less better than the streets when it came to being infested with the undead. Her answer would have to wait as the familiar screams of the zombies suddenly erupted, the small group of infected that had gathered behind the building rushing towards them.

Eva didn't wait for the zombies to be close enough for Coach to use his shotgun again, finally deciding to team up with Rochelle as the two of them picked off the zombies before they could come near the group. Everyone watched as Eva didn't skip a beat, hitting her target every time. Rochelle honestly wasn't that bad with her handgun, but it could be clearly seen that she was a beginner next to the brunette. It didn't take long to figure out that this wasn't Eva's first time shooting a gun.

"Well goddamn Annie Oakley! Where'd you learn ta shoot like that?" Ellis shouted, a giddy smile on his face as he looked excitedly at the new girl. Being put in the spotlight, Eva couldn't help but feel uncomfortable as everyone stared at her, especially Nick. The man didn't look impressed; instead, it looked like he was analyzing her.

"Uh, well, in my family, if you don't know how to shoot a gun, it would be considered a sin, honestly. And, I also lived in Texas for a few years…" Eva explained with a shrug. Both of her parents had taken her to the shooting range multiple times in her life, and when she had come of age, her father had even bought her one of her very own handguns. In fact, it was the same handgun she was currently using, for it had been in her car at the time the infection hit. The other pistol she had merely grabbed off the ground, as the military would consistently leave behind weapons once they got overrun. It was a life skill her father was insistent on her learning, and at the moment, she couldn't have been more grateful for his judgment. Before anybody could respond, she looked directly at Coach, hoping that he would believe her now when she answered his previous question.

"Also, as long as the infected don't get a chance to grab at me, I should be fine." Eva finished, a reassuring smile lighting up her features. Coach merely gave a laugh.

"Well, alright then. I guess-" The large man began, but was cut off by the sound of a deafening roar. Eva couldn't help but pale as everybody's eyes widened in alarm.

" _Charger!"_ Ellis suddenly yelled, spotting the large one-armed beast emerge from the tree line. Immediately everyone began to disperse, knowing that the special infected could easily knock them all over like bowling pins if they stood too close. With the sudden commotion, the general infected were also quickly drawn from the woods, the stragglers emerging right beside the charger. Eva was almost at a loss for words at how rapid their situation went to shit.

She instantly became preoccupied with dealing with the common infected while it seemed everyone else focused their attention on the incoming creature. The thing bellowed once more before Eva noticed it finally charge out of the corner of her eye, the beast having picked its prey. She turned just in time to see that _she_ had been that prey, the large mass making a beeline straight to her form. It was almost as if her legs had suddenly turned to lead, her body scrambling to get out of its path. Due to not being in the best shape from falling down a hill earlier that day, she was nowhere near as nimble as she usually was.

At the same time, Nick was backing up towards Eva, trying to shoot at the raging charger. He quickly stopped his actions, knowing he wouldn't be able to kill the creature before it reached him. Instead, he opted to get out of the way as he looked behind him. His eyes instantaneously widened in alarm.

"Aw _shit!"_ the conman shouted, simultaneously taking a leap towards Eva and grasping her backpack. With his fist full of the leather material he yanked her back towards him, the force from his tug effectively moving Eva out of the way as barely a split second later, the charger came rushing past the both of them. The force that could be felt from nearly missing the monster caused the two survivors to crash into one another and stumble a few feet back. A tingle went up Eva's spine at feeling the familiar ' _whoosh'_ of air that could be similarly felt if you stood too close to a moving car, and as she collided with Nick's hard chest her left hand instantly clung to his white suit as her right arm came to wrap around his waist.

Nick's left arm subconsciously wrapped itself around Eva's form as she clung to his front, both survivors finally coming to a stop as Nick managed to gain enough balance to firmly stand on his own two feet, successfully stopping the both of them.

To say Eva was downright mortified would be an understatement. Her face was completely buried in Nick's chest, and she dully acknowledged the arm that was wrapped around her midsection. It would probably be the only time she would ever think to be happy to be surrounded by flesh eating monsters, for they provided one hell of a distraction from their predicament. The most she could manage was a confused and surprised expression as she mustered up the courage to finally turn her head upwards to see her savior's face. She would have pushed herself away from him by now, but apparently he had forgotten the arm wrapped around her torso as the man practically had her in an iron grip.

Thankfully, in the seconds it had taken for the pair to come to their bearings, the rest of their team had made quick work of any remaining undead. Ellis and Coach worked together to kill the charger that had instead slammed into a nearby tree, while Rochelle made sure to kill the rest of the common infected. Seeing as there was no present danger, Nick clenched his jaw as he looked down at the woman currently wrapped around him. He tried to ignore the relief he felt upon knowing she had missed the charger's grasp by a hair, and instead focused on the anger he felt at risking his own life to save her ass.

"You need to be more aware of your surroundings, _cupcake._ What are you trying to do? Get yourself or somebody else killed?! _"_ Nick lectured. He then shifted the one hand he had around her waist to her shoulder, considering she could stand upright now without the threat of falling over.

Seeing as he let go, Eva quickly let go of the man as she stood erect, trying to hide her flustered state behind her anger at Nick's words. His reprimanding voice immediately prompted an eye roll from Eva. If it caused him so much trouble, why would he bother saving her in the first place? Despite the anger that she could clearly see burn in his eyes, there was definitely something else. She almost wanted to say it could have been worry, but her eyes had to have been playing tricks on her. From the moment she had met this man she could tell he was one of those ' _tough guy'_ types, especially with his wise-guy attitude and prideful ego. She couldn't help but to level a glare at him.

"Hey, _you're_ the one who decided to jump out and rescue me! If it was such a hassle for you then why'd you do it in the first place?!" Eva retorted, prodding his chest with her finger. With their close proximity, Eva couldn't help but notice their difference in size. She was definitely nowhere near threatened, but she couldn't help but to admire that Nick was at least a good head taller than her, and his broad chest completely towered over her form. Her glare still didn't waver as she defiantly looked up at his face.

"Because if you think I was about to carry your broken ass the rest of the way to Whispering Oaks then you're wrong, sweet cheeks! I was doing the rest of us a favor!" Nick stated, only further igniting Eva's spite. So he thought she was just one big liability then, huh? It was only then that she noticed the hand still on her shoulder, and she quickly knocked it off as she shot daggers at Nick.

"If that was honestly the reason why you saved me I can assure you I would not have _Colonel Sanders_ be the one to carry me-" Eva began, but Rochelle suddenly came out of nowhere and cut her off as she came between the two. It was probably a good thing she did too, because Eva was suddenly aware at how much Nick had allowed her to lose control of her anger.

"Hey, hey, hey! We're on the same team here, alright?! There's no need to fight!" Rochelle quipped, pushing the two apart. The words suddenly brought Eva back to reality as she realized the situation she was in. Despite the glare that Nick was giving her, the anger that had flared up inside her had instantly begun to die down. They were in a damn apocalypse- there was _no_ time to fight, never mind not _needing_ to. Then again, Rochelle was right as Eva reeled in her irritation. She pinched the bridge of her nose, shutting her eyes for a second. There was a whole world full of bloodthirsty zombies that would love to tear each and every one of them apart, they didn't need each other to do that. It was either you or them- and if a person was stupid enough to pick a fight with the only comrades they could come across, then you may as well chose them. Besides, Eva just met these people- she refused to get on their bad side so quickly. She snapped open her eyes, and looked much more calmly up at Nick.

"Okay, I'm sorry. Thanks, for… saving me, I do appreciate what you did, but next time, don't risk coming to my rescue if you're just going to complain about it afterwards." Eva managed to say, her voice laced with attitude as she placed her hands on her hips. It honestly wasn't that great of an apology, even she knew that. But she was still pretty pissed at the audacity Nick had at getting mad at her. It was his own decision to come to her rescue.

She wasn't surprised when he didn't decide to give in and make up like she was, and instead she watched as Nick gave an irritated sigh as he rolled his eyes. Without a word he shook his head as he walked towards Coach and Ellis, mumbling a few words under his breath as he went. Eva couldn't help but to give him the evil eye as he did so.

"Don't worry about Nick, he can be a little… difficult at times." The brunette suddenly heard, turning to Rochelle. Her words couldn't help but to cause a laugh out of Eva.

"I think a _little_ is a bit of an understatement. He's a total dick." Eva stated, causing Rochelle to smile. The journalist quickly looked over at her teammates before turning back to Eva. Coach and Ellis were ultimately taking care of Nick, so she thought it would be a good idea to stay a bit behind the men, hoping to do the same with Eva and further calm her down. Besides, she wasn't going to lie, it was just nice to finally have another girl to talk to. Being constantly surrounded by testosterone had worn her down rather quickly these past few days. And other than Zoey, she honestly thought she was the only woman left alive- completely outnumbered by the men.

"Well, you're not wrong, but I promise he grows on you." Rochelle reassured. Eva couldn't help herself as she gave the brown-eyed woman a doubtful look. Before she could properly respond, the sound of Coach's voice made the pair glance in the direction of the men.

"All a y'all need to be careful now! This gulley looks pretty steep!" Coach shouted, unfortunately not allowing the woman some alone time as they realized the rest of their group had decided to move forward. The pair begrudgingly joined the men, and as Eva neared the edge of the drop off she couldn't help but look down the slope with disdain. The ledges created from some of the earth jutting out from the hillside provided her with little relief. It didn't help that nothing but an apparently dirty creek was also the only thing waiting for them at the bottom. _Ugh_ , _this is bullshit._

"This is bullshit." She suddenly heard, and she was glad Nick hadn't been looking in her direction as she couldn't help but glance at said man. She might have said something about how she literally thought the same thing if it weren't for their little spat. Instead, she tried not to think about the coincidence as she instead focused her attention on getting down the hill. She refused to let herself fall and become further injured, basically already on her butt as she slid down the loose dirt. Her plan worked as she effectively landed on one of the ledges. Everyone else did the same, Rochelle landing next to her while Coach and Nick landed on the ledge next to her own.

"Okay, as long as everybody takes it slow down this hill, we'll be alrig-"

"Woah, woah, WOAH!"

Coach unfortunately never got to finish as Ellis suddenly yelled out, sliding out of control as he came tumbling down in front of everyone. He made a rough stop at the bottom, letting out a grunt of pain as his back connected with solid ground. At first Eva was concerned, worried that Ellis really hurt himself, but as he was quick to sit up, rubbing his back, it was clear he was fine. Eva then couldn't help herself as she had to cover her mouth, laughter threatening to escape her lips.

"Oh, _ouch_." Rochelle commented, failing in hiding a smile of her own, instead vainly trying to play it off as a grimace. Nick was the only one so far who could care less if anyone saw his mirth as he openly cackled. Ellis couldn't help but to frown up at him, but oddly enough, Coach shortly joined Nick as a chuckle could be heard from the large man.

"It's not funny, you could really hurt your-" Coach tried to say, but he was cut off by the sound of his own laughter.

"N-naw! It _is_ funny!" the leader finally said in-between his own chuckling. Apparently everyone but Rochelle agreed.

"Ellis, you ok?" Rochelle couldn't help but ask, unable to help herself as a concerned look lined her features as she stared down at the young man. She was honestly the only one able to ask the question anyway, considering she was the single person not laughing.

"Aw yeah, I'm fine. This hill ain't shit!" Ellis shouted up to her, signaling he truly hadn't suffered from any sort of injury. Eva removed her hand, but bit her lip as she was finally able to contain her giggling. The little distraction was nice, but she knew the group needed to keep moving. That was why once everyone was able, they slid the rest of the way down to meet Ellis.

Despite the close call earlier with all the infected, the little incident provided by the redneck seemed to give everyone a much needed distraction as the survivor's spirits had perked up a bit. With the last of his laughter dying on his lips, Coach came up to Ellis and patted his shoulder as he shook his head.

"You gotta watch that first step, baby" he advised, a smirk on his lips as he then began to trek down the river. Nobody wasted any time as they followed Coach. Other than the sound of sloshing water and steps sinking into mud, it was briefly evident that silence would once again keep the survivors company.

Unsurprisingly, that silence never got the chance to take root as the young mechanic's voice cut through the darkness.

"Heh, that was actually kinda fun. I wouldn' mind doin' it again." Ellis mentioned as the group continued to head down the creek. Of course, it immediately prompted a response from Nick. Sliding down such a steep hill was honestly rather dangerous, so Ellis was lucky to not suffer from any sort of injury. It seemed Nick was more than ready to ensure the young boy was aware of this.

"Falling and breaking my neck is _not_ a fun time, Ellis." Everyone could clearly hear. Eva nearly snorted at the response. Once again she couldn't help but notice that this entire time the two acted like little kids, or more specifically, like a pair of little brothers. Between Nick laughing at Ellis's misfortunes and his consistent attempts at bringing down his good mood, she could see the comparison of him acting like the stereotypical douchebag older brother. She also couldn't help but notice that even though she was definitely not a big fan of him, she would be lying if she didn't think Nick was damn funny. Her pride still dictated she needed to hide her amusement if it had anything to do with the white suite-wearing man though, so once again she curled her lips inwards in a successful attempt to keep quiet.

Fortunately, nothing else happened as the survivors made their way down the creek. Other than a manageable number of zombies that Eva and a few others picked off with their pistols, the creek gave them a small break from the usual bout of special and general infected. With nothing else better to do, Eva couldn't help but finally decide it was time to learn a bit more about her new group.

"So, other than Coach, who I'm pretty sure was a Coach, what did you guys do before everything went to hell?" Eva asked. Ellis practically instantaneously answered her question.

"I was a mechanic! Man, I had it made, doin' what I love, always a full keg a beer at hand- then those damn zombies had ta come and ruin it all… I will admit, they provide fer one helluva shootin' range, though!" Ellis quickly explained. It had not gone unnoticed by Eva how Nick looked completely exasperated during the response from the redneck. Did he really annoy Nick _that_ much?

"I was actually a news journalist before all this. I was working on a story about the evacuation center in Savannah, but before we even got the cameras set up the infection had gotten completely out of hand." Rochelle responded next. At hearing her story Eva couldn't help but to give the woman next to her a reassuring smile.

"Well, at least now you'll have one hell of a story to give them once we make it out of here." Eva hopefully said. Her smile quickly turned into a frown at the sound of Nick's voice, though.

"That's _if_ we make it out of here." The dark haired man pessimistically stated, instantly causing everybody else to furrow their brow.

"And what was it exactly that you do again…?" Eva finally couldn't help but ask, honestly wondering with his behavioral issues what kind of job he had that hadn't fired him already. By the time she asked the question the group had made it to the end of the creek, an incline coming into view that would bring them to the street. Nick purposely avoided Eva's question as he pointed it out.

"Everybody up that hill! It'll take us straight to Whispering Oaks." Nick proclaimed. Eva knew for a fact that he was ignoring her, and was about to call Nick out on it if Ellis hadn't beat her to it.

"Nick don't like to talk about his past, and I'm pretty sure it's 'cause he mentioned somethin' about bein' a conman." If looks could kill, Ellis would be dead in the dirt from the glare Nick produced as he whipped his head around to face the hillbilly.

"Ellis, I hope you have a body bag." Nick threatened, his tone deathly quiet. Before he could pounce on the poor kid, since from what Eva saw, she was actually concerned he might have truly done so, she quickly piped up her thoughts.

"It's nice to know you still have some humanity left in you, considering you're embarrassed to be labeled with a completely illegal occupation." Eva commented with a smile on her face. She wholeheartedly expected his heated glare to reign its fury upon her instead, but was surprised when his face faded into a cocky smirk the second he looked at her.

"Don't kid yourself, it's a completely inappropriate name for what I do, sweetheart." Nick rebounded, once again causing Eva's brow to furrow. What the hell did that mean? And she couldn't help it as she fully acknowledge him using the pet name. The man was truly testing her limits. She was surprised to find, however, that she felt a bit of relief at wondering if his playful tone meant he was no longer pissed at her. She had no idea where _that_ came from, especially since she honestly didn't care that much for what Nick felt about her. She surmised it was probably due to her knowing that if the both of them were on good terms, then it meant less drama.

By that time, the group had made it towards the top of the hill, and Eva planned on also telling the group her occupation, but it would apparently have to wait since as the survivors saw the street, the multiple zombies littering the area also became evident.

"Well ain't that a load a shit." Ellis spoke, practically speaking the minds of his teammates.

Before the wandering infected could clearly process there was fresh meat, Coach decide to start off the brawl with the sounds of his shotgun firing. The group immediately sprung into action, taking down the undead as all of them slowly became alert to the sound of the survivors.

As the team pushed their way across the street, several things simultaneously happened all at once. In the open lot just after the road, Ellis had managed to spot a safe room, already beginning to run towards it as he called out behind him to alert everyone of his find. Sadly, nobody had noticed the beaten up red car that had been left in said lot, whose lights were ominously blinking, as if to signal not to go near it.

The sound of a hunter paired with a smoker was swiftly heard, the general infected no longer the greatest enemy to the group of survivors. Eva could barely make out Coach's voice as he tried warning everyone in the group of the two monsters, but it was too late as the all too familiar screech of the hunter could be heard.

"Ellis!" Eva screamed. Up ahead by the safe room, Eva saw it before she could say anything. She could only watch as the hunter just about came out of nowhere and pounced unexpectedly on the mechanic, for he was unable to hear any of their warnings. That would have been bad enough, if it weren't for the fact that the action caused his body to land on the nearby red car, which proceeded to blare a horribly loud alarm.

 _"Goddammit!"_

 _"Ellis!"_

Eva could barely hear the concerned shouts coming from Coach and Rochelle, only able to watch as they raced to help their fallen friend. The number of zombies they currently were dealing with was fortunately dwindling, but Eva was still trying to hold her own as she continued to fire her pistol, finishing off the last of the zombies coming at her.

"Everybody get into the safe room _now!_ " Eva roughly heard behind her, only to find Nick shooting the last of the zombies that had decided to come after them. It was only seconds before the next horde would be upon them, and Eva looked back to her front to see that Ellis was thankfully no longer pinned by the hunter, the creature lying dead at his feet as Coach began helping the boy towards the safe room. Eva was about to run over and join them, if it weren't for the sound of the nearly forgotten smoker. She heard the sound of its tongue before she could see it, turning towards where she heard the cringing howl come from.

She was genuinely surprised to find the tongue had not wrapped around her, but instead found Nick suddenly the one to become wrapped in a slimy looking rope. Her eyes widened in panic as she watched Nick scream, for not only had he become completely incapacitated, but right behind the location of the smoker, who was situated at the top of the hill across the street, was a seemingly endless flood of zombies coming right for them. Nick was not ignorant to the fact that he was royally fucked. The other survivors were too far ahead for them to do anything, and they were already preoccupied with Ellis- it was up to Eva. If she didn't act now, she was going to watch a man die right in front of her.

 _No. Not today._

" _Fuck_ this!" Eva shouted, running at Nick's dragging form. She unsheathed her second pistol, showing no mercy as she unloaded her clips into the smoker. As expected, the thing went up into a puff of smoke, both of her guns still with bullets to spare. She had milliseconds to get Nick on his feet and to haul ass, the smoker having dragged him to the edge of the lot. She practically ripped the tongue off him, simultaneously killing a few zombies that were ahead of the pack. She abandoned one of her pistols as she grabbed Nick's arm, pulling him up with her. With all the adrenaline running through her body, she was easily able to ignore the burning sensation that suddenly shot all the way up her right arm. He was quickly on his feet, Eva picking off a few more zombies that were too close for comfort as the pair basically ran for their lives to the safe room. Any wounds her body had previously suffered from were momentarily forgotten with the sound of the terrifying amount of infected right at the back of their heels.

The rest of their team was already inside, so when Eva and Nick entered the room he slammed the door shut behind them, and not a second later the sound of the undead banging on the door could be heard. The both of them were leaning forward onto their knees, panting heavily from the sprinting they just did. It left Coach and Rochelle to place some aimless furniture in the room up against the heavily reinforced door to ensure the infected couldn't get in.

"I think- I think we're even, now…" Eva managed to say between her panting, perking her head up to look straight at Nick. When he did the same, she couldn't help but to give him a genuine smile.

"Shut... shut up." He barely managed to respond back, failing at trying to hide the smile that threatened to fall upon his own lips. Despite his airy voice, the brunette could hear his teasing tone, no hint towards being a malicious response at all.

At that moment, she could care less as she let relief take over her at knowing the man before her was safe. Unbeknownst to Eva, that relief was only the start of the emotions that she was about to experience.

It must have been a coincidence that she was at Whispering Oaks Amusement Park, for she was about to be in for one hell of a ride.

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I wanted to note that I was hoping to try and tie in a lot of in-game dialogue, since most of it is completely priceless! I'm honestly a little worried for this chapter though, especially with the ending. Let me know if you think it was a hit or miss.


	5. Chapter 4: Hold Up, I Gotta Heal!

Alright, I'm going to be honest, this is a more boring chapter. You learn a lot of stuff about Eva and Nick though. Making sure the L4D2 character's weren't OOC was quite a challenge, so if you think they are you're more than welcome to let me know. But oh my gosh! I can't believe I already have over 100 views! I want to bake you all a cake! Also a special thanks to LiveForeverOrDieTrying and Harry-Flashman for your wonderfully amazing reviews!

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Eva knew that if she were to sit down, there was no chance of her getting back up, so instead she opted to straighten herself while she placed her hands on her hips. Nick had done the exact opposite, and had decided to sit against a nearby wall. She already decided to check him later, just to ensure he had come out unscathed by the smoker. She didn't really have time to do so earlier as a massive horde was mere moments away from tearing them both apart.

The adrenaline pumping in her veins was bound to fade soon, so she planned on checking and taking care of her new team before the effects disappeared. Already being out of the way of danger, she was able to acknowledge how her right forearm had been throbbing, so out of curiosity she pulled up the flannel sleeve of her cardigan. She wasn't surprised to find blood already beginning to soak through the skillfully wound bandages she had placed there, but it was still a bit of a let down for her to truly realize the stabbing sensation she felt as she pulled Nick to his feet was actually the feeling of her stitches snapping. _Great._

At the moment, her own injuries were the least of her concern as she pulled her sleeve back down, especially as she took a sweeping glance around the room. Her attention was immediately drawn to Ellis, who was sitting in the corner hunched over, holding his side.

" _Shit."_ Eva whispered under her breath. She nearly forgot that the poor kid had gotten attacked by a hunter. Rochelle had already situated herself in front of him, slipping her med pack off her shoulders. Coach was unable to help since he had silently decided to be the lookout, and was busy standing by the exit.

Eva didn't want to be rude, but none of these people were medical professionals. She wasn't about to let an amateur potentially suture up Ellis when she did it all the time. She worked in the ER as a Physicians Assistant- apparently all those hours working on people had unintentionally given her an invaluable skill in the zombie apocalypse.

"I tried telling you guys earlier, but I'm an ER nurse. If you want, I could treat him instead?" Eva asked as she walked up to the crouching pair, glancing between Rochelle and Ellis. The journalist instantly snapped her head up at the new bout of information.

"By all means, girl, be my guest!" Rochelle managed to say, the joyful shock that consumed her evident across her face. Eva wasted no time as she crouched down in front of the groaning mechanic, slipping her bag off her shoulders. _Well, at least there's one good sign_. Despite knowing Ellis was in pain due to his whining, Eva was relieved to know the sounds meant he was still conscious. Since he was effectively covering his side, she had no clue as to what she was dealing with. Knowing this, she never paused in her actions, pulling out her own first aid kit, and as she opened it she suddenly heard Coach's voice.

"Are you kiddin' me?!" Both women heard from the large man, and Eva worriedly glanced up at Coach to see he had turned his sights onto Nick.

"I don't know how the hell you found her, but fate musta been shinin' upon your ass, Nick." Coach declared, causing a few breathless laughs to come out of the gambler.

"What can I say? I've always been a lucky guy." Nick responded, a prideful smirk falling upon his lips. As Eva pulled out her needed supplies from the kit, she couldn't help but to shake her head.

"Apparently, not lucky enough to be caught wearing a white suite in the middle of the zombie apocalypse." She couldn't help but to say, not even bothering to glance in Nick's direction, knowing full well of the glare that probably awaited her.

"Hey!" She predictably heard behind her, a smile threatening to grace Eva's lips at Nick being so easy to tease. She could hear a snicker from Rochelle, and as much as she wished to join her she unfortunately was too concerned about the condition of Ellis to let herself indulge in the lighthearted humor. Oddly enough, right as she placed a hand on the young man's knee, she couldn't help but to hear a small chuckle from the boy as well.

Ellis unexpectedly perked his head up, a beaming smile on his face. Eva couldn't help herself as she gave a relieved smile at the sight, nearly shaking her head in disbelief. A hunter just viciously attacked him, yet here he was, smiling as if nothing happened.

"Ellis, are you okay? Can you tell me where you're hurt?" Eva asked, the relief she felt evident in her tone. Her smile was unwavering as she looked at the mechanic.

"Other than this nasty gash to ma side, I'm right as rain! I think it's pretty funny how you're able to push Nick's buttons… like… that…" The redneck trailed off, Eva watching as his eyes shifted to look up and behind her, and she could only guess what suddenly shut his mouth as a shadow fell upon both their forms. Unlike the nervous expression Ellis was exhibiting, Eva turned towards the source of the silhouette with annoyance evident in her sapphire eyes. She had a _job_ to do. What could Nick want _now_?

"For your information, _sweet cheeks_ , this is a _three thousand dollar_ _suit_." Nick boasted, earning no sense of amazement from Eva. Instead she gave him an indifferent look, only raising an eyebrow as she looked him up and down, noting all the dirt and blood stains that had tarnished the once white outfit.

"Yeaaahhh… I think I beg to differ on _that_ one." The brunette responded as she turned back towards Ellis, obvious sass in her tone. Her answer had the desired effect as a small laughter suddenly carried throughout the room. In all honesty, it was true- Nick's suit was completely ruined, whether it be from all the crap he was wading through or just from encountering so many infected. Of course, Nick still didn't hesitate to defend himself.

"Oh please, a little bleach and it'll look brand new! Brains are easy to get out of a suit, the mud, not so much." The conman couldn't help but blurt out, and immediately Eva turned to him, along with a few other members of the group. Nick was quick to react, realizing what he just said. Oddly enough, it was only Eva who gave him a suspicious look, with a- _wait._

Upon closer inspection, Nick could swear he saw what he could only described as a knowing glint in her cobalt eyes, and that fact unnerved him. No, she was too innocent. A _nurse_ , knowing what _he_ did? He had to doubt it, it all had to be just a trick of the eye. He wouldn't even worry about it. Instead, he decided it would be best to just play it cool in this situation, and not draw any more attention.

"Don't ask me how I know that." He stated, his tone letting everyone know that would be the last thing he was going to say. Nick brushed off what happened, walking away from everyone as he went to go look at the ammo that was left by other survivors. That was all fine and dandy to Eva, who no longer had any distractions as she went to focus completely on Ellis.

In reality, however, there was no way she could focus as what Nick said filtered through her mind. It might have been a few words, but they spoke volumes to the woman. She knew he had quite the shady past, but with this new information and their previous interactions, she couldn't help but to make assumptions that fit too well. Either way, she tried to remind herself it was something she would have to worry about later, especially as she heard another pained grunt from the redneck.

"Alright, do you think you can lift your shirt for me, Ellis? And do you think you can stand?" Eva asked the young man. He once again glanced up at her, a smile slowly forming on his lips.

"Why yes ma'am. I ain't hurt too bad, this gash here just stings like a _bitch._ " Ellis replied, not wasting any time as he tried to stand. Eva went to go help him, but hesitated as she thought about her arm. She didn't need to draw attention to her own wounds at the moment.

Thankfully, it was no longer a concern for her as Rochelle beat her to the task, helping the hick stand during her moment of hesitation. During the time it took for the woman to help the redneck get to his feet, Eva went and picked up what she needed from her supplies. She took out a pair of blue gloves and quickly slid them onto her hands. She only had a few pairs of the sterile gloves, and she saved them for just such an occasion. The protocol she learned during her clinicals never seemed to fade as she kept in mind the sterile technique she continuously used when dealing with any sort of open wound.

Eva waited patiently as she then watched as Ellis gingerly did as she asked, grimacing as he lifted his shirt. The moment his side was visible she instantly recognized four large claw marks, her brow furrowing as she leant down to inspect them.

Despite all the blood that surrounded the injury, the nurse was relieved to find the lacerations weren't too deep. Ellis was lucky- there would be no stitches today.

"From the looks of it, the slash marks aren't too deep, so all I have to do is wrap it and you'll be set. I would usually now advise you to be more careful and to avoid strenuous movements after I was done bandaging you up, but I have a feeling that's no longer an option in our situation." Eva tried to joke, smiling at Ellis as she then picked up some sterile gauze and a bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide.

"Also, if you thought your wound stung before, you don't have to worry. Once I'm done sterilizing it the pain you feel now will be like a walk in the park." Eva mentioned, dousing the gauze in her hand with the alcohol. Ellis's face immediately dropped.

"N-now hold on, I-I feel fine, I don't think that stuff is necessar-" Ellis began to say, but was cut off by Coach, who surprised everyone as he spoke up.

"Boy, you've been fightin' zombies for the better part a three days. You ain't gonna tell me you afraid of a little disinfectant now, are ya?" Coach speculated. With his pride on the line, Ellis immediately became defensive. He became completely unaware of Eva approaching his side.

"But the stuff _burns_ ma- AAAH!" Ellis replied, but was once again cut off as Eva began cleaning his wound. She couldn't help herself as she giggled a bit at his overreaction. She wasn't the only one who found the poor kid's pain entertaining as she could hear a chuckle come from behind her, instantly recognizing it to be Nick.

She wasn't gonna lie, she couldn't help but to feel a bit bad as well with everyone laughing at Ellis. However, when Rochelle decided to join in on the teasing was when Eva realized this situation must apparently not be new.

"Are you cryin?" The journalist suddenly asked, a playful smile on her lips. Despite his hissing as Eva finished cleaning up his side, he immediately glanced at Rochelle with a sour face.

" _No."_ He stated, not sounding much different than a pouting five year old. An amused smile was quick to tug at Eva's lips at his behavior. She continued taking care of Ellis, placing a pad up against his wound that would help stem the blood flow.

Despite his childish behavior entertaining everyone, Eva still couldn't help but feel a stab of guilt for the poor boy. She had always been more empathetic when it came to people and their emotions, which, with her line of work, she was quick to realize didn't work in her favor. She learned to overcome it though, but that didn't mean she shouldn't be able to comfort Ellis, her smile turning warm as she looked up at said boy.

"If I could, I would give you some candy since you've been a real trooper, but seeing as I have none perhaps I could kiss your wound all better instead?" Eva joked, letting Ellis subtly know he had done a good job while hopefully giving him a quip to laugh at. As Eva began to wrap his torso, he gave her quite the surprise when instead of laughing like she expected, she noticed he gave her a goofy smile.

"No need to worry, Eva. I'm pretty sure it would be just as sweet." He stated, nearly making her stop her work. _Oh, well that's awkward._

She hoped he understood she didn't actually _mean_ it when she said she would kiss his bandaged wound. In the short time she had known the naïve boy, she was seriously hoping he wasn't actually flirting, and was instead just saying something nice and he was ignorant to the fact of its potentially flirtatious message.

Much to everyone's surprise, however, as soon as Ellis spoke Eva heard Nick's voice hastily pipe up, practically coming to her rescue.

"Hey, overalls, she was just joking. There ain't no way in hell that would actually happen." Nick clarified, and Eva didn't want to admit it, but she was quite relieved that Nick spoke up, despite his sharp words. She couldn't help but to take a quick glance in the gambler's direction, though, as she finished wrapping the redneck's wound. Was her expression that open that Nick felt so compelled to speak up on her behalf? She doubted it. Her back had been mostly facing him the whole time. She couldn't help but wonder, what caused him to speak up so suddenly?

Eva would have to push her curiosity to the back of her mind for the time being unfortunately, for she could see the incoming fight about to ensue between Ellis and Nick. Instead of waiting for Coach to stop it this time before any real damage could be done, Eva quickly stood up, intending to prevent the fight before it even started.

" _Alright_. Nick, you don't need-"

"Okay! I'm done. Does anyone else have anything they want me to look at it?" Eva asked the room, purposely cutting off the angry words of Ellis. Eva also honestly wondered if everyone else was okay. She originally decided to check each person individually, since in the situation they were in, she knew it was a possibility people could be stingy with alerting everyone of their wounds, (much like herself). However, due to aiding Ellis, the throbbing in her arm had worsened, especially with the adrenaline having mostly worn off. Her lower right arm honestly felt like it was on fire. As long as nobody had any serious wounds, she was in no shape to take care of anyone but herself.

"I think we're all good. And as long as Ellis is up to it, perhaps we could even head out soon." Rochelle suggested, looking at the men to see if they disagreed. Eva didn't wait for anybody to respond to the journalist. She panicked at knowing there was no way she could head out in her condition. Considering it seemed nobody needed her help any longer, she may as well let everyone know she needed to do some healing as well.

"Ah, actually, as long as it's not a hassle I kind of need to fix up my arm." Eva timidly mentioned, watching as everyone's eyes shifted to her. She then casually lifted up her right sleeve, noting how the dark red and blue pattern hid a few dark spots rather well. It only caused her worry for her wound to increase, especially since as her bandages were revealed, it could be easily seen how they were completely soaked through. Eva glanced up to see the concerned look on her group member's faces. She couldn't' t help but to explain.

"It honestly only looks bad. My stitches just… broke, when I…" Eva began, but instead of finishing her sentence she pretended to grab and pull something while simultaneously looking at Nick. She didn't feel comfortable verbally explaining it was due to saving the gambler that she had injured itself. Her reasoning was mainly due to not wanting to guilt trip Nick, or probably embarrass him in telling everyone he needed to be rescued. She also wanted to prevent another potential scolding from the man upon him finding out the consequences she had to suffer. Fortunately, it seemed everyone got the message from Eva's silent explanation.

"Shoot, your arm migh' just be more messed up than ma side! You take all the time you need, ain't nobody stopping ya." Ellis stated, his words once again speaking for everyone in the room. Eva immediately gave a grateful smile as she thanked everyone, and not skipping a beat she then turned around to immediately go for her supplies. In doing so, she completely missed how Nick clenched his jaw, his stare never leaving her form.

Eva made sure her sleeves were rolled up and out of the way, and then snapped off her gloves. They just got in the way when it came to taking care of anything that had to do with herself, despite her knowing it went completely against protocol.

Her supplies were on the floor, since the only available table in the safe room was littered with ammo and other oddities. She decided it would be best to just plop down by her bag. As she did so, she couldn't help but notice how the sudden movement made her aware of the feeling of lightheadedness that had begun to creep up on her.

"Damn…" Eva mumbled, rubbing her forehead for a moment. She didn't need this right now. She was honestly about to say screw it and fall asleep, but of course she couldn't do that. At least she got a nap earlier. Still, she just didn't feel like dealing with the pain all over again. Especially considering this time, she had none of the numbing cream she used earlier. She would have given some to Ellis if she hadn't used it all on herself. She couldn't help but to feel a bit guilty about knowing that.

Seeing as she was dealing with an open wound, she used some hand sanitizer before she touched her supplies. She was just about to cut open her bandages with the small pair of surgical scissors she grabbed, if it weren't for Rochelle suddenly crouching before her.

"Hey, you need some help?" The motherly woman asked, and for a moment Eva was tempted to take her up on her offer. Unfortunately, Eva knew better. She would have to turn her down, for there really wasn't much the brown-eyed woman could do. She was better off inspecting the wound herself. At most, Rochelle could perhaps help later when she was done and needed to rewrap her arm.

"Thank you, but I'm fine. If you're still available later I could perhaps use you when I have to bandage myself back up, though." Eva responded with a grateful smile. Rochelle of course smiled right back, placing a comforting hand on Eva's shoulder.

"Of course. Call me when you need me." And with that, Rochelle got up to go join Ellis and Coach, who had begun talking about some band called the _Midnight Riders._ A few of their posters were strewn about the room, making it a convenient topic to talk about once Coach had spotted the name. Eva had never heard of them, but she was glad they could find a pleasant topic to talk about while she healed up.

"The _Midnight Riders_! I used to _love_ that band- I have _all_ they albums! Even the new stuff that ain't no good! Best light show in the business, though!"

"Aw, hell yea! I saw 'em back in '07. Front row center! Lost my eyebrows."

As the men talked, Eva casually cut off her bandages as she listened. She literally couldn't help eavesdropping in the small room, raising an eyebrow at the comments Ellis had to say. Honestly, did she just hear him say he lost his _eyebrows?_

The distractions the men provided were only temporary as Eva had to finally give her full attention to herself. Luckily, due to the fresh blood seeping from the wound, the bandages didn't stick too bad to her broken stitches, and with only a grimace she managed to gingerly pull off the ruined dressings. The sight that greeted her only made her grimace deepen though, despair washing over her.

The four-inch gash on her forearm completely reopened, the skin tender and angry from the irritation caused by the broken stitching. It also continued to bleed freely with no sutures to close it, but fortunately the bleeding was only minimal, and she would be able to stop it once she got the gash closed again. Still, the pain from the wound reopening could be felt all the way up her arm. Eva had no idea how she would be able to pull the broken stitching out on her own. She was in such a state of distress she was no longer aware of her surroundings, completely engrossed in how screwed she was. Would anyone even be able to help her? Was any person in their group even capable-

"You really need to learn to take better care of yourself." A voice said right above her, and for a moment Eva couldn't process it as Nick being the one talking. As said man sat down right beside her it took a moment for her to realize the reason why was due to hearing his voice full of… _guilt?_

 _Aw Goddammit._

"Nick, its okay, you seriously-" Eva began, knowing Nick was only helping her because he felt bad. That was the number one thing she wanted to avoid. The gambler would hear none of it though as he stopped the nurse in her tracks. He produced a bottle of pain pills and effectively cut her off as he shoved them in her face.

"Just shut up and take these." He casually stated, and without warning he then took hold of her injured arm, and Eva wasn't going to lie- she was not expecting the gentle touch he used when he pulled her arm towards him. She was so shocked from his behavior she couldn't help herself as she obeyed his commands, grasping the bottle of pills. They would surely help not only with her arm, but her overall health. They were _exactly_ what she needed- where the hell did he find them?

"W-where did you get these from? And as grateful as I am for the gift, why the hell are you looking at my arm? You can't do anything to fix it." Eva pointed out. She severely doubted Nick could effectively pull out her stitches, so she didn't know why he was even bothering looking at her wound. She was once again surprised as Nick glanced up at her with a small smirk on his face, a smug glint evident in his eye.

"You'd be surprised, doll face." He merely said, before going for her supplies. She noted how he at least had enough sense to use some hand sanitizer first, and realizing he wasn't kidding she immediately popped open the bottle of pills and took a few. She was going to need them.

"So you've had experience before with this kind of thing? You know what you're doing?" Eva asked, still doubtful of Nick's skills. He never looked up as he answered.

"Yeah, you could say that. When you aren't exactly able to go to the doctor it doesn't take long before you learn to do shit yourself." Nick answered, grabbing the tweezers. What kind of response was that?! Eva was simultaneously intrigued to learn more about what Nick meant, and also greatly concerned about his vague answer. It seemed she would have to make do though, since she knew she couldn't pull the stitches out herself, and if Nick said he had experience then she just had to force herself to believe him for the time being. It would help her feel better about the situation, at least.

"You ready?" Nick asked, and Eva nodded.

"As I'll ever be." She responded, suddenly sucking in a breath as she closed her eyes. Nick gave her no time to think about what was coming. The pain was instant, but she had to give herself a hand, for other than a whimper at the shock of the stinging she didn't make another sound. Her jaw was locked together with her eyes squeezed shut, her mind solely concentrating on getting through the pain. It was only about halfway through when Nick tried striking up a conversation. Probably as a way to distract her, the nurse couldn't help but think.

"So, tell me. Why would you do this to yourself again?" Nick asked with curiosity mingled in with a scolding tone, noting his subtle anger at her actions. Eva would have none of it as she managed to peek at him through her grimacing.

"You know why." Eva simply stated through gritted teeth. He honestly should know. Her arm was a small price to pay in comparison to his life. Oh, God. She really hoped he was almost done. She squeezed her eyes shut again, another whimper unable to help itself as it escaped past her lips.

"No actually, I don't. You don't owe me shit." Nick answered, the frustration in his voice evident. He hadn't exactly been too much of a gentleman to the nurse since the two ran into each other in the cruddy motel bathroom. He also didn't count the moment where he pulled her out of the way of the charger for anything. If she honestly thought she needed to pay him back for protecting her, he was about to become pissed. If there was anything he learned so far in surviving the zombie apocalypse, it's that you had to look out for each other. A certain trust would inevitably develop, whether you knew it or not. He had begun to understand that once he opened up, and was easily able to start trusting this little rag-tag team he was thrown into.

Despite being a new member to the crew, Eva was weak and wounded. He didn't exactly trust her yet, but seeing the woman in such a state caused a pang to blossom across his chest. At first he was confused as to why, but it soon dawned on him. The woman was a painful reminder of his past. She looked nothing like his second wife, but she had the same fearless look in her eye when she talked right back at him- a fiery attitude that could not be extinguished. The woman before him was just the same when it came to taking no crap from anybody. Unfortunately, ever since he had lost his second wife, he could never stand to see the sight of an injured woman. Because he had failed her, he felt the only way he could make it up to himself would be to do everything in his power to ensure he didn't make the same mistake twice. That was why he couldn't help the anger he felt toward Eva. She didn't understand the guilt he felt, for it had to do with a lot more than just her.

If Eva were still looking at Nick, she would have been able to notice an age-old anger that burned in his eyes- an anger that was not directed towards her. Unfortunately, she would never get the chance to witness it since the anger was quick to die out as he finished with removing all of the sutures. As Nick delicately dropped her arm, signaling he was done, only a flicker of annoyance could be found in his silver irises as Eva finally opened up her eyes to look up at him. Perhaps she didn't owe him anything, (despite her believing she totally did owe him one for the charger incident), but that had nothing to do with why she went out of her way to help him. She needed to make him understand that her actions were due to her merely wanting to ensure nobody was going to die while she could do something about it.

"Just because you're a dick sometimes doesn't mean you deserve to die, Nick. At least, not in my eyes. Besides, you can be a good man when you want to be." Eva began, a small smile beginning to ghost across her lips. She then held up the bottle of pills and shook it a bit as her smile turned warm.

"I _know_ it." She finished, referring to Nick's kind actions, watching as said man's eyes widened for a fraction of a second. It was true. Perhaps he had been guilt tripped a bit, but Nick was going out of his way to help her at the moment, so he would be a liar to pretend like he had no humanity. But whether or not Nick was a good guy had nothing to do with the main reason as to why she saved him.

Her passion for preserving life overruled any other emotions. That was why, despite Nick giving her a hard time from the moment the two met, she didn't skip a beat to help him when she saw he was in danger. She wasn't thinking about giving back any debts. All she cared about was saving a life- a _person_ , which is what she believed her work was all about. As long as you were able, you should be able to try and save someone to the best of your ability.

Nick honestly didn't know what to say to Eva. How could she place so much faith in him despite how they just met? He also couldn't help the fact that her words simultaneously infuriated him while leaving him completely shocked. They were nearly the exact same words someone said to him long ago. He was quick to recover himself, though, merely shaking his head as he gave a breathless laugh, going to reach for the alcohol.

"You don't know anything, sweetheart." He could only say, and he only glanced in her direction for a moment before he grasped the bottle of disinfectant. He was suddenly stopped at the feeling of her dainty fingers grabbing his wrist, causing him to turn his head towards her in surprise.

When Nick had just glimpsed at her, it took her a second to comprehend that within his eyes she couldn't help but to have recognized a hint of pain hidden within them. It honestly confused the woman. Where did that come from? If she were to have blinked she would have missed it. She knew better than to say anything about it, though. Nick definitely had his secrets, and whatever they were, she knew right now was not the best time to try and figure them out. She could only look at him with a glimmer of concern speckled in her dark eyes as his attention was upon her once again.

"Don't use the Peroxide, it'll only damage what's already begun to heal. Use the wipes instead to clean the outer area of the wound." Eva advised. When Nick looked at her he could clearly tell those were not the words she truly wanted to say. Whatever was on her mind he was apparently not going to find out either, as she kept silent while he did as she asked. The pair stayed like that, with Eva looking as if there was more she wanted to talk about while Nick pretended to be completely engrossed in taking care of her arm. She was tempted to let him know that he didn't need to help her any more, but she knew she would be wasting her breath. That, and she wasn't in the mood to get on his bad side again.

It wasn't long before he was done cleaning the injury, prompting Eva to immediately grab a pack of adhesive strips for him to use. There was no way she was about to risk re-suturing her mangled arm. Apparently Nick thought the same thing as he gave no argument to the use of the strips. With the other survivors still talking about the unknown band, Eva couldn't help but sigh as he ripped open the package and got the glue ready.

"I _really_ hate hills." Eva blurted, causing Nick to raise an eyebrow at her. Apparently the tension from their previous discussion was fading as the woman decided to change the topic.

"Out of all the things for you to hate at the moment, it's hills?" Nick asked, carefully placing the glue and strips onto her laceration. As he worked Eva gave an embarrassed smile.

"I'll give you _one_ guess as to what happened to my arm." She mentioned, and an instant chuckle came out of Nick.

"You gotta be kidding. How can you be good with a gun, but suck ass at moving like a normal human being? You might wanna work on that before someone mistakes you for a zombie with all that stumbling around." Nick pointed out, a teasing smile on his face. Eva couldn't help the small laugh that she gave at his words. She was tempted to defend herself, especially since it was because of her wounds that she wasn't as balanced, but she decided to just enjoy the moment instead. Nick was nearly done with her wound, now onto wrapping it with the nearby gauze.

Thankfully, Eva could feel the effects of the pills begin to kick in as Nick finished up. She couldn't help but to be pleasantly surprised at the job Nick did, however. Apparently she had made a smart move in trusting his abilities. He even wrapped the bandages around her arm professionally, the work not even close to sloppy. She couldn't help but to guess where he learned such skills. She didn't have much time to think about it since with a grunt, the gambler got to his feet.

"Alright twinkle toes. Don't go wasting my work." Nick teased, a mischievous smirk spread across his face. Despite the hand he held out for Eva to take, she still pouted up at him. _There he goes again with those stupid nicknames. Where the hell does he come up with these?_

"Thank you. But you should also know that I hate you." Eva responded good-naturedly, a smile threatening to break through as she didn't hesitate to take the offered hand. Nick easily helped her up, everyone turning to the pair.

"Is everything okay?" Eva expectantly heard from Rochelle. The nurse quickly turned towards the concerned woman along with Nick.

"We're all set." Eva answered, giving her a thumbs up. The brunette then gathered her supplies, placing everything back neatly before she closed up her bag and slung it over her shoulders. She would definitely need to be more careful now with her arm, especially since her body was no longer aware of most of the pain in her body.

She reached for the pistol that had been placed back in its holster. She was somewhat saddened at no longer having dual-held handguns, and was a bit concerned at only having a single pistol to protect her. She had no backup if things got rough.

A faint smile upturned her lips, however, as she looked up at the group she recently joined. In all honesty, she had nothing to fear. She had truly been the lucky one when Nick stumbled upon her. Who would have thought such kind and amazing people would find her during the apocalypse?

She was in good hands. Whatever came their way, they would figure it out. She was sure of it.

Eva made sure she had a full stock of ammo, securely placing a new clip into her gun. Everyone turned towards the sound of her pistol being reloaded.

"So, I don't know about you guys, but the first chance I get I'm making myself a stick of cotton candy the size of my head."

* * *

Once again, sorry if you were missing the action in this chapter, but I promise the next one will make up for it! I felt despite being in the safe room, such a lengthy chapter was necessary since this is technically the first time Eva gets to be with the canon characters and have legitimate interactions, without having to also focus on how many zombies might come running around the corner to viciously attack them.


End file.
